Tramming locomotive



May 29, 195s Filed Feb. 24,

G. E. EDMUNDS TRAMMING LOCOMOTIVE 2 Sheets-Sheet l GLENN E. L-'DMUNDELl INVENTOR,-

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May 29, 1956 G. E. EDMUNDs TRAMMING Locom/louve:

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1953 HTTY. l

United States Patent O 2,747 517 TRAlVIh/IING LOCOMOTIVE Glenn E. Edmunds, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application February 24, 1953, Serial No. 338,284

1 Claim. (Cl. 10S-50) This invention relates to tramming locomotives and an object thereof is to provide an improved locomotive of this type that includes improved operators platform and drawbar structure that may be raised from 'a generally horizontal position to an upright position lto reduce the overall length of the locomotive.

Another object of the -invention is to provide an irnproved tramming locomotive that includes an operators platform that may be swung from a generally horizontal position to a generally upright position to reduce the overall length ot' the locomotive and to provideV in such locomotive improved means for pivotallly attaching the platform to the locomotive and for securing the platform in its generally horizontal position 'in a manner whereby the operators platform, in effect, becomes a rigid part ot' the main frame of the locomotive.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved tramming locomotive that includes an opera'- tors platform which may be swung from a generally horizontal position to a generally upright position to reduce the overall length of the locomotive wherein the platform is pivoted to the locomotive to swing about `an axis extending transversely of the locomotive main frame and wherein the platform is secured in' -its generally' horizontal position by separable or releasable means located atan elevation or a position different from that in which said axis lies.

Still another object of the invention is to provlde a locomotiveV of the type -set forth wherein' a drawbar means adaptedV to transmit push and pul-l forces to' and from theloc-omotive extends from the locomotive main frame across the operators platform, is detachably secured' to the locomotive main frame, and' cooperates to retain the operators platform rigidly in a generally horizontal position and wherein the operators platform may brace the drawbar against' lateral strains.

Other objects ofthe invention will' appear hereinafter,

theA novelVA features andi combinations. being set forth' in the appendedv claim.l

Y inthe accompanying drawings: y

Eig.. l is a view'in' perspective looking at the, control end of a tramming locomotive embodying the invention', thelocomotive having its swingable operators' platform an'dldrawbar in a generally horizontal position; Y

4Figlis a View similar to Fig.v l, but showingthe operators. platform and drawbar in its generally upright position wherein the overall length of the locomotive' is reduced; and n Fig. 3`is Ia side view o'f.` the locomotive' seen in Figs. l' and?, the operators'platform'and'v drawbar beingl .shown in its generally horizontal position, with parts broken away,- and' tlieupright' position to which said.I platform and drawbar may be swungv being indicated inM dotdash lines. A s

Many underground' mines, particularly in countries foreign to the United' States, have' numerous ore pro- (inning. levels, but frequently ore is not produced atV any one of; theseVV levels at su'ch a rate as to justify the permanevi-nstallation of a locomotive at'each level to'haul the ore, andunder tliese conditions'it has become a'pra'ctice to employ one "or'inr'eA tramning" locomotives that` may Patented May 29, 195s 2 readily be placed at different levels in the mine' by means of elevator cages or hoists operating in relatively small elevator or mine shafts.

The dimensions of these cages or hoists are frequently such that only small locomotives and mine cars can be placed upon them and in many mines the dimensions of the cages or hoists are such that the locomotives employed must be expansible and contractible whereby when expanded they may provide an operators platform and drawbar means at one end and whenl contracted they can be'plac'edupon the mine cage or hoist and be moved from one mine level to the other. Generally speaking, this invention relates to such trarnming locomotives, but, of course, it could be applied to larger locomotives.-

One problem met with in locomotives of this type is that of providing structure whereby the operators platform and drawbar, when positioned to carrly the locomotive operator and to pull or push cars, will be stable and become, in' effect, av rigid part of the main frame of the locomotive, thus providing a rigid platfrom and drawbar that will not unnecessarily jounce' and jar both the loco'- m'otive and its operator. This invention deals, in part, with this problem.

The tramming locomotive illustrated in the drawings includes the invention and is of the type above described. This locomotive includes a main frame 10 that is supported upon four traction wheels 11 adapted to run over mine rails i2. The main frame 16 carries a battery 13 that may be removed from the locomotive and placed upon a charging rack. In mines where these locomotives are employed, it is customary to have at least two batteries f3 in order that one may be on the charging rack while the other is in use on the locomotive. The construction of the locomotive, per se, is not pertinent to this invention and therefore it sui'l'ices to say of it that it includesA the usual electric driving motor, not shown, for the wheels, brake mechanism indicated generally at lt-V for the wheels 11, and all other customary apparatus necessary to the proper functioning of the locomotive.

At one end of and supported by the locomotive main frame 1G the locomotive is provided with the usual oo ntrol means suchas a brake' control wheel 15, ari alarm belly i6, an electric rheopst'at or motor controller 17, gaugesy and the like, and a light 18. Below all of this apparatus and extending longitudinally from' `the endl of the main frame 10' there is a box-like combi'nationA operators platform and drawbar '19 that may occupy the; position shown in Figs. l and 3' of the' drawings when it is being employed. to push or pull mine' cars about a This platform and drawbar carries an operatorsrseatY Zi) (see Fig. 1') thatmay be detached from the' platform T9 when the'latter is swung tothe generally upright position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings' and? in whichI position the overall length of the locomotive is reduced-l As above mentioned the operatorsplatforin- 159E is abort-like member including spacedgenerally uprightsid'ewalls 2i, a bottom or floor 22 andi an' upright end? meinberor wail 232 VEnd wall 23' carries a coupler member' 214 through which the locomotive may be connected" to" a mine car, forexample.

The' platform 19-'is-pivota'11y connected to the main frame: 19' through two upwardly, angularly extending ear or lug portions 2S that are formed integralL with or are paritsro'fthe spaced" upriglitsidewalls: 2-'1' of' platform 19' through two spacedE pivot means in' the form ofv machine bolts.' 23' (see' Figs. lf andf 31) that may" be threaded into appropriate'openingsI formed in the-l main frarne- 10ft These spaced' pivot boltsa26. lie ponfzncoim mony axis: that extends transverselyoff the mainframe V11) and above thef'oor 7.21A of* platform 19'when saidfplatfom is its generally horizontal position.

When the: boi-like" platform'.Z 19 isl ini saidf generally horizontal position its open end is closed by a wall that includes an upright plate 27 positioned at the center'of locomotive main frame 10, and two curved wheel guards or boxes 28, one at each side of and attached to the side of said upright plate 27. The plate 27 and wheel guards 28 are integral parts of the main frame 10 and said plate 27 is notched at its bottom and substantially at its center as'indicated at 29 in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The bottom of the plate 27 at each side of the notch 29 is bent at a right angle to provide extending portions 30 which are overlapped by tongues 30' on the bottom plate 22 and cooperate therewith to form parts of the bottom or Hoor of the platform 19.

At each side of the notch 29 there is attached to the plate 27, as by welding, an ear or lug 31 that extends from the plate 27 toward the platform 19. These ears or lugs 31v each include an opening, which openings are aligned to receive a pin 32 of a disconnectible or separable fastening means of which the ears or lugs 31 form parts. Loss of pin 32 is prevented by a chain welded at one end to the pin 32 and at the other end to the main frame 10.

The platform 19 includes a reinforcing member or drawbar element 33 that extends from the upright wall 23 of platform 19 substantially on the longitudinal center of platform 19 and between its side walls 21. This reinforcing or drawbar element 33 is L-shaped and has its short leg 34 welded to the wall 23 (see Fig. 3). Its long leg 35 extends adjacent the bottom or fioorV 22 and is preferably welded thereto. The end of leg 35 extends between the ears or lugs 31 and is provided with a transverse opening through which the pin 32 ts. Y

It will be seen thatV when the platform 19 is in its generally horizontal position and the separable or removable fastening means which includes the Vend of leg 35,

the ears or lugs 31 and `the pin 32, are assembled Vthat the platform 19 is secured to main frame 10 and held in said generally horizontal position at three places, namely, at the pivot bolts 26 which lie on a common axis, and at the pin 32 of the separable fastening means. It will be seen that the pin 32 lies in a plane or is positioned below that plane in which the pivotal axis for the platform 19 lies and in a plane which is adjacent that plane in which lthe bottom or oor 22 lies when the platform is in its horizontal position. Because of this structure, pushing and pulling vforces or strains are transmitted directly between the locomotive main frame 10 and the coupler means 24 through the drawbar element 33 and the body of the platform 19 braces the drawbar element 33 against lateral strains. It will also be seen that the drawbar or element 33 and the separable or disconnectible fastening means including the pin 32 cooperates with the pivot bolts 26 to secure the platform in its horizontal position and in such manner that the platform is rigidly connected to and in effect forms a rigid part of the main frame 10, and that towing strains transmitted through it and the drawbar element 33 cannot move the platform .from its generally horizontal position.

about the axis on which the pivot bolts 26 lies to its upright position in which it covers some of the controls of the locomotive including the rheostat or motor controller 17. The operators seatis, of course, removed from the Yplatform 19 before it is swung to its upright position- The platform 19 is retained in its upright position by the pivot bolts26.and a pair of pins 36, one on each side 1 of the locomotive, that are itted through openings 37 in each ear or lugZS. ofthe. platforrn19Y and` extend into the ends of transversely extending tube 38 that is Welded to and forms an integral-part of the main frame 10. Loss 4of pins 36 is prevented by chains 39 each welded at one end to one of the pins 36 and at the other end to one of the ears or lugs 25.

When said platform is in its upright position an operator may walk behind and control the locomotive. In order that this may be accomplished the oor 22 of platform 19 is cut away to provide an opening 40 through which the operator may gain access to the control lever 41 of the motor controller 17. All other pertinent controls on the locomotive as well as the headlight 18 are positioned so that they are below the bottom end of floor 22 when the platform is elevated and therefore the operator can walk behind and control the locomotiveV as he drives it upon a mine cage under its own power.

A door 42 is hinged to the oor 22 to close the opening 4t) when the platform is in its generally horizontal position. The hinges 43 for'door 42 are positioned so that gravity holds the door v42 open when the platform is elevated.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by this invention there is provided an improved tramming locomotive including an operators platform that is secured to the locomotive main frame to swing from a generally horizontal position to a generally upright positionY about a transverse axis and that the platform is retained or secured in its generally horizontal position by another fastening means that is in a plane or position different from that of the pivotal axis in which the platform lies. It will also be seen that the structure here described provides a locomotive wherein most of the drawbar strains are carried through the operators platform by a drawbar element that is secured removably but directly to the locomotive main frame and that this drawbar element cooperates with the pivot means for the platform to retain the platform in its generally horizontal position and when so cooperating becames in effect a rigid part of the main frame of the locomotive.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make'various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as dened by the claim hereto appended and applicant therefore wishes not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of the invention, what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A locomotive including a main frame, a box-like means at one end of said main frame forming an operators platform and a drawbar including a floor, oppositey upright side means and an end member, a pair of axially aligned pivot means one pivotally attaching eachof said upright side means at one end and above said floor to said locomotive main frame whereby said box-like means can be swung from a generally horizontal position to an upright position to decrease the overall length of said locomotive, means between said spacedside means extending along the floor of said platform between said end member and said locomotive main frame adapted to transmit pushing and pulling forces between said end member and said main frame, and disconnectible fastening means interconnecting said last named means and said main frame at a position below said aligned pivot means, said disconnectible means cooperating with said pivotv means for securing said platform and drawbar to said main frame in said generally horizontal position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,692,873 Sloane Nov. 27, 1928 2,333,504 Alben Nov. 2, 19.43 Y2,530,472 Lee NOV. 21, 1950y ManchaV Y Apr. 2s, 192s 

